SURAT: A diamond worker's wife and two children have died after the four of them allegedly consumed a poisonous substance near their residence in Gujarat's Surat city apparently due to financial problems, police said on Thursday.
The family took the extreme step late Wednesday evening, they said, adding the condition of the diamond worker, Vinu Mordiya (55), was critical.
Moradiya has two daughters and two sons.
His one daughter and son took the extreme step along with him and his wife outside the house, while the other two children were back at home.
Mordiya, his 50-year-old wife Shardaben, son Krish (20) and daughter Senita (15) allegedly consumed Aluminium Phosphide tablets near a canal in the Sarthana area of Surat late Wednesday evening, Assistant Commissioner of Police P K Patel said.
"Preliminary probe has revealed Vinubhai is a diamond worker and financial crisis may have led the family to take this extreme step," Patel said, adding a probe is on into the case.
Before consuming the poison, Vinu Moradiya called up his cousin Pravinbhai and told him to take care of his other son and daughter who were at home when the four consumed poison near the canal, the official said.
Pravinbhai told reporters outside the hospital, where Vinu Moradiya was undergoing treatment, that his cousin never shared anything about his financial issues.
"We are not aware of the exact reason which led to this tragedy because Vinubhai never told us that he was facing any financial issues. We would have helped him if we knew the family was in trouble," he said.
Another distant relative told reporters outside the hospital that Vinubhai might have been under pressure as he was earning Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 per month and had to sustain the livelihood of his family comprising six persons.
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